NASCAR is known for some of the most loyal and passionate fans in all of sports. They salute the 43-car field each week, knowing that there is no home team in a sport that runs 36 Cup races each year at 23 tracks across the country.

But NASCAR fans do have their favorites, drivers they have respected and cheered for years. Some they loved because of their hard-charging style, others because of their outgoing personality and fan-friendly nature.

Some they respect because they raced clean and respectful, others because they raced with an edge, stirred up controversy or simply beat the hated competition. Some who used to be hated wound up being loved.

And in a sport built around daredevils and danger, some were beloved because they lost their lives or were victims of unspeakable tragedy while doing what they loved.

Here's a look at the drivers who touched the hearts of fans with their performances on the track and their stories and lives off of it. They are NASCAR's Most Beloved Drivers. (Don Petersen/AP)

When he became a star in the 1960s, Richard Petty quickly became a fan favorite. Not only was he the sport's most dominant driver, but he understood the most important aspect of the sport — the fans.

Petty spent countless hours signing autographs and chatting with fans at the track, not only building his own huge fan base but helping the sport of stock-car racing grow. From that perspective, Richard Petty may have been the most important figure in NASCAR history.

Though he was past his prime when the sport exploded onto the national scene in the 1980s, "The King" was still leading the way. In his trademark cowboy hat and sunglasses, Petty still is a fixture at the track every week, and still attracting a flock of fans. No one can say for sure how many autographs the 76-year-old Petty has signed through his career, but it's likely in the hundreds of thousands.

How popular was Petty? He was named NASCAR's most popular driver nine teams from 1962-78. Petty, the seven-time champion and the sport's all-time winningest driver, was inducted into the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010. (Rusty Burroughs/AP)

Richard Petty may be "The King," but Dale Earnhardt was so well known that he had multiple nicknames — "The Intimidator," "The Man in Black," and "Ironhead."

And like Petty, Earnhardt had one of the most rabid fan bases in sports. His legion of black-clad fans cheered him every week and made him millions in souvenir sales. He also was the sport's most polarizing figure, with has hard-charging, rough-and-tumble style enticing fans to either love him or hate him.

First there was Earnhardt and "The King," but during his heyday, there was no driver more popular that "Awesome Bill From Dawsonville."

Bill Elliott, who won 44 Cup races and the 1988 championship, was voted NASCAR's Most Popular Driver a record 16 times. He won the award 10 straight years before it was given to Earnhardt posthumously in 2001.

Elliott, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, arguably was as popular as Earnhardt during the mid- to-late 1980s, and the two shared a somewhat heated rivalry on the track. Elliott's 11 superspeedway wins in 1985 is still one of the most dominant seasons in the modern era. (Walt Chernokal/AP)

After the death of his father in 2001, it was only natural that Dale Earnhardt Jr. take over as the sport's most popular driver.

Earnhardt, or Junior as he is so affectionately known, immediately began building his own fan base when he burst onto the scene as a Cup rookie in 2000. His first career victory, on April 2, 2000, was widely celebrated and remembered for his father rushing to victory lane to congratulate him at Texas Motor Speedway.

When Earnhardt Sr. was killed in the 2001 Daytona 500 — a race in which Earnhardt Jr. finished second for his father's team — Earnhardt Nation quickly bestowed its love and support on Junior, instantly making him the sport's most popular driver and biggest star.

Though Earnhardt Jr. has not matched his father's success — just 19 career victories — he arguably has matched him in popularity. Junior has been voted the sport's most popular driver for the past 10 years and boast the largest fan following in the sport. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)

Bobby Allison had a love-hate relationship with fans during much of his career. Though boasting his own large fan base as the leader of the famed "Alabama Gang," Allison also locked horns with the sport's biggest stars, mainly Richard Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and, later, Darrell Waltrip.

But Allison is beloved by fans primarily for the incredible tragedy he has endured throughout his life and career. His career ended with a head injury he suffered during a crash at Pocono Raceway in 1988 — four months after he won the Daytona 500.

Allison survived the crash, only to see both his sons killed. Clifford was killed in 1992 during a crash in a Busch Series race at Michigan. A year later, Davey, who finished second to his father in the 1988 Daytona 500, died from injuries suffered in a helicopter crash.

Allison's tragic story and the class and humility he has demonstrated throughout the years has endeared him to many fans. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011. (Walt Chernokal/AP)

Tough Petty ruled the 1960s and '70s, David Pearson had his own following — and not just among the ladies.

Known as the "Silver Fox," Pearson was Petty's biggest rival, winning three championships and 105 races — second on the all-time win list. Pearson is regarded by some as NASCAR's greatest driver and many believe that if he had chosen to run all the races, he would have matched Petty's seven championships and 200 career wins. His winning percentage is the highest in NASCAR history.

Davey Allison was a rising star and seemingly on the verge of greatness when he was killed in 1993.

A winner of 19 Cup races, Allison won the 1992 Daytona 500 and finished third in points in 1991 and '92, winning five races both seasons and nearly winning the '92 championship before being involved in a wreck in the final race.

Paired with popular team owner Robert Yates, Allison was expected to be a huge star and perennial champion. He died from head injuries after his helicopter crashed while trying to land at Talladega Superspeedway. His death at age 32 — which came just three months after the death of defending champion Alan Kulwicki — sent shock waves through the sport.
(Mark Foley/AP)

Darrell Waltrip is a classic example of a driver who won over fans by turning over a new leaf.

Once despised because of his brash, smack-talking demeanor and confident swagger — and because he quickly began beating stars like Petty, Pearson, Yarborough and Allison — the three-time Cup champion became a fan favorite later in his career.

Once considered one of the sport's biggest villains, that all changed when Rusty Wallace wrecked him to win the 1989 all-star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After the wreck, fans began to side with Waltrip and turned their disdain on Wallace, the sport's new fast-talking, cocky driver.

While many of NASCAR's top stars were heroes to many fans, Junior Johnson was a bona-fide folk hero — one who reached legendary status both on and off the track.

The son of a bootlegger, Johnson honed his driving skills by hauling moonshine and running from the law. He even spent a year in federal prison when he was caught with a moonshine still. Johnson later used his driving skills to become one of NASCAR's greatest drivers, winning 50 races, including the 1960 Daytona 500.

Johnson's life and career took on folk-hero status when he was highlighted in a 1965 article in Esquire magazine entitled "The Last American Hero." The article, penned by famous write Tom Wolfe, was later made into 1973 movie starring Jeff Bridges.

Ned Jarrett was not only popular for his success on the track but for his calm and friendly demeanor. Known as "Gentleman Ned," Jarrett dominated the early 1960s, winning 50 races and the 1961 and '65 championships.

After surprisingly retiring at age 34 in 1966, Jarrett became a radio broadcaster, calling races on local stations and Motor Racing Network. He parlayed his success on radio into a career in television, becoming a popular analysts for CBS and ESPN. His call of the final laps of the 1993 Daytona 500, which his son Dale won, is considered one of the iconic moments in NASCAR history.

Like Jarrett, Benny Parsons parlayed his success on the track and his likeable personality into a successful TV career.

The 1973 Winston Cup champion, Parsons arguably was more successful as a TV announcer than a driver. He won 21 races, including the 1975 Daytona 500, before retiring in 1988 and becoming a popular announcer for ESPN, NBC, TNT and other networks.

Parsons won an ESPN Emmy in 1996 and became so popular on TV that he was the voice of numerous NASCAR video games.

Buddy Buddy was another star of the 1970s to make the transition from driver to TV announcer.

The son of two-time champion Buck Baker, Buddy won 19 races, including the 1980 Daytona 500, and is one of only drivers to win NASCAR's four Crown Jewel events. He was the first NASCAR driver to top 200 mph on a closed course, accomplishing the feat at Talladega Superspeedway in 1980.

After his driving career, the fun-loving Baker became a popular NASCAR analyst for TNT and CBS. One of NASCAR's friendliest personalities, he still appears regularly on Sirius/XM's NASCAR channel.
(AP Photo)

There were numerous reasons Neil Bonnett became a fan favorite. A protege of Bobby Allison, Bonnett won early in his career and was a consistent winner for such popular teams as the Wood Brothers and Junior Johnson.

A member of the popular "Alabama Gang," Bonnett also became close friends with Dale Earnhardt, one of NASCAR's most popular driver.

After suffering a career-ending head injury in a 1990 crash at Darlington, Bonnett also became a popular television announcer, working NASCAR races for CBS, TNN and TBS.

With the help of Earnhardt and team owner Richard Childress, Bonnett decided to return to racing in 1993, running races at Talladega and Atlanta. He was killed in a crash while practicing for the 1994 Daytona 500. (AP Photo)

One of the stars of the 1950s, Glenn "Fireball" Roberts was popular for both his name and his hard-charging style on the track.

A Florida native, Roberts actually got his nickname as a baseball pitcher for the Zellwood Mud Hens American Legion team. He could have just as easily earned it on the track. A student at the University of Florida, he raced on NASCAR's Daytona Beach Course at age 18 and won a 150-mile race there the following year.

As one of the sport's top young stars, he continued to win races in the late '50s and early '60s, including the 1962 Daytona 500, and was named the sport's most popular driver in 1957.

Ironically, Roberts died from injuries suffered in a fiery crash in the 1964 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (NASCAR Media)

Curtis Turner was one of NASCAR's most colorful characters and one of its first renegades.

A winner of 17 Cup races, including the 1956 Southern 500, Turner is credited with winning more than 350 races in various series, including 22 NASCAR Convertible races in 1956.

Turner, NASCAR's first most popular driver in 1956, also was not afraid to take on NASCAR. Along with Fireball Roberts and Tim Flock, he formed a driver's union in 1961 and was banned from the sport by NASCAR. He returned in 1965 and won one more race before being killed in a plane crash in 1970. (NASCAR Media)